16-Papillion
by GrinWithouttheCat
Summary: The Innocent brought on the Dance. There was no need for him to stop it when it wasn't his fault. He would end it, soon, for the sake of Kooza- but there wasn't any harm in sitting back and enjoying the chaos in his perfect world for a minute, was there? He enjoys watching the boy run around with such terror- or at least, that's what the Trickster thought he enjoyed.


"Trickster!"

Trickster sighed at the familiar whining. It was the boy again. With a huff, he put on one of his signature smirks. He turned to the source of the call, seeing the boy run through the bataclan doors. He flailed his arms as he ran, looking rather frantic. The kite he normally carried was no where in sight, and the boy looked as if he were about to cry. He came to a stop in front of Trickster, and put his hands on his knees. It was obvious that the boy had been running for quite a while before he even reached the sanctuary of the bataclan. He stayed hunched over and panting for several seconds, before looking up at the Trickster and waving his staff. "Trickster, I didn't mean too! I don't even know what happened, why they got here, how, I don't even know WHO they are!" L'Innocent began frantically, stumbling over words, and moving through the sentence so quickly, almost to a point where Trickster couldn't decipher what he was saying.

Trickster couldn't help but smirk. He had seen the boy bring in the hoard of skeletons, and bring about the Crooner, as well as other evil beings, using his own staff. The boy was terrified of what he had brought in, and with good reason. The skeletons tormented him. They chased his with their sythes, just waiting to go snicker snack on his flesh. In truth, Trickster found it amusing to watch them all run around his kingdom. It was chaotic, entertaining, funny, even! The pure terror on the faces of those that the skeletons would chase was priceless, in the eyes of the Trickster. He glanced down onto the Innocent. The boy still looked as if he would cry. Trickster couldn't help but smirk. Perhaps he could get some more fun out of this, before it all had to come to an end. After all, the skeletons wouldn't stay in Kooza for long. Even if Trickster allowed them to, they would eventually get bored, and move back to their world. He smirked slightly, before frowning and looking at L'Innocent with the best frown he could fake. It was enough to convince the boy, at least. "What are you speaking of? Who came into Kooza now?"

Trickster had to stifle a laugh. The Innocent's face changed from fear to that of pure terror. He backed up, shaking his head, with his night cap flopping in his face. Despite what was going on outside, the Trickster still scared the boy more than anything else. Trickster smirked. The boy rocked back and forward, shifting his weight between his two feet. He shook his head slowly, pulling at the sleeves on his nightwear. It was obvious he was debating whether or not to tell Trickster what he had brought into Kooza, using the power Trickster lent him. With a gulp, L'Innocent looked up towards the Trickster. "I-I tried to use the staff- Like you do- and, something went wrong! They- all the skeletons- came out- when I asked for Chivari- and- Trickster, I can honestly say, I don't know where they come from, or why, but I am so so beyond sorry!" He was practically screaming, jumbling all his words out as they came. Trickster chuckled darkly, glancing back at the boy.

Trickster strode forward a step, towering over L'Innocent. The boy shrunk down, whimpering slightly, and Trickster fought laughter. The boy was so utterly spineless. He flicked his hand In the direction of the Innocent, hardening his glare. "You brought skeletons into Kooza?" he growled. Innocent nodded slowly and rapidly, practically trembling. Trickster's eyes narrowed on the boy, and he turned away with a jerk. His jaw hardened, as he looked back towards L'Innocent, who was now crying silent tears of fear. Trickster strode towards the balcony, to see what the evil beings were now doing to his kingdom. He glanced behind him. Even the musicians seemed darker somehow now, but he would have suspected as much. The musicians were not Trickster's creations as the other performers were, but were instead tied into with the world. When the world was bright, they were. When the world was dangerous, their melody seemed like daggers. And when the world was filled with evil, the tune would be the same. Trickster made it appear as though he had control over the group, but it was truly the performances the controlled them, with each movement.

Trickster turned his attention to the outside. Two demons were battling on a wheel- flipping and jumping over with ease, kicking at each other when they had a chance. Trickster smirked. Even though the skeletons were not of his world, they were still confined by his powers, and thus were performers as well. He flicked his hand and grabbed onto the bar of the balcony, throwing his leg over the first two bars. He watched the brother demons for several minutes, before L'Innocent eventually snuck beside him. He was still shaking slightly, and had stopped crying, but the evidence of his tears were still visible. He was hunched over and tense, uncomfortable being so close next to the Trickster. The boy was transfixed on the brothers on the wheel, looking on with fear, whether that fear was of the Trickster's possible reactions or because of the brothers themselves was unknown. Trickster sighed softly and looked back to the wheel.

"Demons." Trickster spoke, emotionless as he looked on the performance. Innocent looked up at the older man, confused. "Brothers. Brought in along with the other evil beings. Demon brothers, twins by the looks of it, battling out on the wheel," he squinted slightly, watching as one of the brothers flipped to the outside of the wheel. "A wheel of death..." he muttered quietly. The Innocent looked up at Trickster with wide eyes. Trickster looked down at the boy, then back to the brothers. "They won't die- at least not here," The boy seemed to relax slightly, letting out a sigh at this statement. "As long as they are in the confines of Kooza, they are performers. Battling or not, they won't die," Trickster said, frowning. One of the brothers flipped forwards, hardly landing on the wheel. Trickster remained emotionless.

"Trickster?" The boy said softly, almost to the point where Trickster couldn't hear. He looked down at the boy, stoic. Innocent gulped "I- I didn't mean to... Bring them here, I mean... Please, don't be mad..." The words were mumbled, and the boy was looking at the ground as he spoke. Trickster sighed, frowning slightly. He looked down on the boy. He was shaking again, pulling on the ends of his sleeves. A nervous habit. "I-it can be fixed... Right? All the evil things... Can go away... And Kooza can be fun again?" He sniffed "Everything I did... Can be undone... Right?" Trickster smiled sadly and put a hand on the Innocent's shoulder. Innocent looked up at Trickster, eyes glistening. The older man leaned down to be eye level with the boy.

"It can indeed be fixed," Trickster said slowly. Innocent's eyes lit up, and he smiled.

"Really?" He asked. Trickster nodded, causing the Innocent to beam. Trickster couldn't help but smile, seeing the boy so filled with hope.

He stood up straight and strode back inside. L'Innocent followed close behind him. Trickster glanced back towards the boy. Innocent still had his staff. Trickster frowned. It would truly make banishing the skeletons much easier if he had the staff to channel his powers through, but if he asked for it back, the boy would think Trickster was never going to allow him to use the staff again. Trickster wasn't even sure he could bare to part with the staff again, it took quite a while to convince himself to part with it the first time. Trickster shook his head slightly. No, he would do it on his own. The boy needed another chance to use the power the staff could channel. He turned back to the curtain the acted as the doorway between the inside of the bataclan and Kooza, and began walking again.

"Also... Trickster?" Trickster turned back to the source of the small voice. L'Innocent was smiling slightly. He pulled at the edge of his pajamas again, glancing back up at the Trickster. "One of the skeletons... Stole my kite..." he said quietly.

Trickster smiled and pushed open the luxurious red curtain. He looked back at the boy, giving a small nod. "I'll make sure to retrieve it for you." Innocent smiled, wiping his eyes. The boy looked so genuinely relieved, as if his worst nightmare was finally coming to am end. Trickster smiled softly "Innocent," he spoke. The boy blinked and looked up towards the older man. "What is your favorite performance?" he asked, flicking a hand out to his side. He was going to do something for the boy, something to make him happy after the hell he had just endured.

L'Innocent thought for a moment, before smiling. "Juggling." he answered, mimicking what he thought the movements of juggling were. Trickster smiled and nodded, before walking out of the bataclan.

* * *

**Author Note:** So- essintially a headcanon of mine as to why and when the Trickster stopped treating Innocent as a play-toy, and more of someone he could take under his wing.

It's fairly old- considering re-writing parts of it (Like the middle orz)


End file.
